Fantasy baseball 2017

Villar is younger than Kipnis and has more positional flexibility in my league, but he seems like a ground ball machine. Both are within 60 points of their career average BABIP, so they may improve a bit going forward this year, but I wouldn't expect a major hot streak. Kipnis has averaged about 13 HRs in six full seasons and has eight right now, so I wouldn't expect him at age 30 to have a big power surge. I doubt he'll top 20 HRs.

Not sure your categories, but if Maybin is performing better than those two, I'd probably play him.

 

I'm wondering if it's time to drop David Dahl. I've stuck with him for three months with this rib injury because I think he'll be really good when he returns, but they still don't have a timetable for his return. I have only one DL slot and have McCarthy, Conforto and Neil Walker all on the DL as well, so I'm actually playing short one positional player right now. I hate to drop him since I've rostered him for all this time and feel like it will have been wasted if someone else picks him up if/when he returns.

I'm in the unenviable position of having the fourth-highest scoring team in the league, but a record of 6-7 because I've lost several close weeks. Not sure if my team is a contender, or if I should hold onto Dahl to prepare for next season.

 

I think Kipnis's power spike last year was just part of the overall rise in home runs last season. He has a history of hot streaks in late June and July after slow starts. Maybe the early DL trip slowed him a bit. Maybe he's just having a crappy year.

Villar found a new level of plate discipline that drove his breakout in 2016, but he seems to have abandoned that change this year. The ability is there, but the head isn't. I may keep him over Kipnis just because he is younger, but I'm guessing neither will be anything great the rest of this season.

I'm probably putting way too much thought into three guys who aren't that good.

 

I don't have much faith in McCarthy, but the way Dahl's projected return keeps getting pushed back is a concern. He also had a history of injuries before 2016. Perhaps it is a little of the same problem I'm having with Villar and Kipnis. Some investments are harder to give up on than others.

 

McCarthy's ERA is 3.25 with a FIP of 3.21, so I feel pretty comfortable with him, especially since he's going to be reactivated Saturday. Also, wins are worth 10 points in this league, making decent pitchers for good teams invaluable (I have 3/5 of the Dodgers' rotation - Kershaw, Wood and McCarthy).

I'm not really considering dropping McCarthy, Conforto or Walker, really just trying to figure out if Dahl is worth playing a bit shorthanded for a week or two while the other guys get healthy, or if it's time to cut bait.

 

I do this all the time. I agonize over whether to drop a guy and then look at the wire and see five other players with similar scoring profiles.

 

My issue with McCarthy is more health than performance, but I see your point. I guess it depends on who you could put in Dahl's place. I'd be assuming he will be out all season unless I see otherwise.

 

Probably Hosmer or Reddick.

 

I tend to avoid looking back at big trades because it can be frustrating, but it is also informative.

In my keeper league, I traded Miguel Cabrera for Jon Lester, Matt Carpenter and the 20th pick in my draft league's draft, which turned out to be Edwin Diaz. The thinking was that Cabrera might continue to break down and I needed pitching. Cabrera was hurt and his numbers are disappointing so far, but all three pieces I got in exchange have also disappointed.

Lester is a mess. He has had some great outings and the K-rate is still strong, but he has a terrible time getting through the first inning or two. Today, the Pirates blew him up in the first.

Somehow I'm in second place anyway. It sure wasn't that trade.

 

What's your league's rule for qualifying at a position? My daily league we just go with whatever yahoo says. My weekly league 10% of total games played at a position makes a guy eligible at that position.

 

How many closers do you start? Both my leagues it's 2 and a flex. Diaz is potentially a top 10 closer. Other than avg, Carpenter is pretty much the same as Cabrera this year. He has 19 more more runs and is also 3 years younger. Even if Lester continues to get worse, I think you throat raped him in that trade.

 

In my CBS league, players qualify if they have 20 games at a position the previous year or 5 games at the position in the current year. Anthony Rizzo actually qualifies at 2B in that league because of the way Maddon shifts the Cubs.

In my Yahoo leagues, it's 5 games started at a position, or 10 games played (Rizzo needs to shift to 2B one more time to qualify in those leagues).